


Dream encounters

by Bluemoondreams



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Darkness, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance, dream - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-03 08:58:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11528931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluemoondreams/pseuds/Bluemoondreams
Summary: Creek is experiencing very vivid dream encounters with Branch. This is quite dark from the start, and this story is a bit different from my others but hey change is good. Let me know if you like this and want me to carry on with it.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea that just came to me I don’t know were from but here it is I hope you all enjoy it, this is a bit different for me but hey a challenge and a change is always good right? I don’t own any of the characters here I just borrowed them for a while. Warnings it’s quiet dark in the start, everything at the start is a bit odd so please stay with me, two males in love eventually, fluff and romance. I have dyslexia so please be nice about spelling and grammar mistakes I do my best.

Dream encounters.

The first dream:

Being the spiritual being he was Creek was used to having dreams which meant things, but tonight he wasn’t quite sure what to make of his dream so far, as for the longest time he had been floating alone in the dark. Then suddenly a small spark of blue light appeared in front of him, the guru stopped floating his feat touched down onto a solid black floor and as he stood there watching in awe the teal blue spark became a blue orb of slight and two blue semi-transparent wings sprouted from it. Creek took a deep breath, the blue orb of slight became a blue troll curled up into a ball, slowly it uncurled with their back to him, the troll set its feet to the black ground which instantly filled with blue stars. Quickly the spiritual troll took in the details of this other troll, the skin of this troll was a lovely shade of teal blue, the hair was royal blue and stood up in a shape which Creek didn’t recognise. The blue troll was still glowing, it held out it’s right hand and a blade made of blue light appeared in the hand of this troll. The guru could feel the awe which was within him was growing with each moment that passed, in all his years of dreaming he had never seen anything like this before and instantly Creek knew this was a very powerful dream. “Who are you?” Creek asked the figure, the ear of this troll twitched in his direction but it didn’t turn around, to look at him and instead stood staring off into the darkness.

This lack of reaction from the blue troll made the guru frown with confusion, as Creek looked around for some clue as to why the other troll isn’t answering him he suddenly noticed that there was a purple and blue thread linking him to this troll it was fading in and out of existence. He noticed that there was also a pink and purple thread running from his body off into the distance, it seemed to be stronger than the other one and to be sucking the light out of this other thread like some form of leach. Creek looked from the pink purple thread back to the blue and purple one, the spiritual troll reached out he took hold of the thread as soon as he did so the purple light of it grew stronger, the blue winged troll gasped and this simple sound revealed to Creek that it was a male troll. The eyes of the guru widened with surprise as purple fire quickly surrounded the other troll, but the blue troll responded to this by calmly opening his semi-transparent wings wider they seemed to grow in size and a few steaks of purple appeared in them.

Then all at once black chains sprung out of the darkness, they grabbed at the wings binding them up, before flattening them against his body and as this happened the troll let out a cry of pure pain. Not able to stand what he was seeing happening to the other troll Creek started forward running towards him, as the guru made his way to the blue troll more dark chains whipped out towards him, they bound the hands of the male troll behind him forcing the blue troll to drop the sword which shattered as it hit the floor. “Leave him alone!” Creek screamed with anger at the darkness around them, but this had no effect, instead more chains came forward they started wrapping around his body and the purple troll ran faster desperate to reach the other troll.

Creek was suddenly brought to a halt as the pink thread which was attached to him would allow the guru to go no further, he desperately tugged on the thread wanting to make it loser but it was taut and the purple troll quickly realised that it was far too strong for him to break. Realising these facts the spiritual troll looked back to the blue troll, as he did so horror and helplessness filled the guru as he could now see that all that was left of the other troll outside of the chains now was his head. Creek could also see that the wonderful blue of his colours was draining out of him by the black chains, the purple troll watched completely helpless as his hair turned black, his skin was going slowly but surely grey. This was a sight which literally made the spiritual troll feel sick, he wished that there was something he could do to help the now grey troll, Creek found himself screaming with all he was worth. “NO!” That word sent a blast of purple light forwards, as this light hit the black chains some of the chains shattered from around the grey troll and there was a flash of light. The guru winced as the bright light flashed, when the light cleared and Creek could see again, he lifted a hand to his mouth his eyes wide with shock at the sight of the other troll now before him.

The now grey troll’s entire pose spoke of defeat and hopelessness, he was kneeling on the ground, his head was head bent forwards, his hands were bound behind him in the chains up to the top of his arms. His ankles were also chained to his knees, the wings of the troll were stretched out wide but now they were grey and completely wrapped in chains. The sword which the once blue troll had been carrying now lay on the ground beside him, it was broken into three pieces and sapped grey too. The eyes of the troll were closed and Creek could see a single tear as it ghosted its way down over one cheek. A wind which hadn’t been there before caught the tear as it left the face of the other troll, it blew it back to Creek, it sparkled like star light against the darkness all around them and as hit his lips to the guru it felt almost like a soft kiss. The purple troll touched his lips, his eyes didn’t leave the form of the other troll, tears were starting to gather in the eyes of the spiritual troll Creek had never seen such a terribly heart wrenching sight before and all he wanted to do was help him somehow. The guru reached a hand out desperately towards him wanting to comfort the now grey troll, he could see the thread which linked him to this troll had lost its blue, it had also gone grey with him, but Creek refused to give up on him and addressed the chained troll he just couldn’t quiet reach. “Please…Don’t give up, you can fight this…I know you have the strength to fight this.”

“Creek…” Said a female voice from behind him, the purple troll jumped with surprise at the sound of this voice and he turned around to find Poppy standing behind him. Creek was quick to notice that she was holding the pink and purple thread in one of her hand. “He won’t fight this and you can’t save him…No troll can reach him…He is well beyond any help.”

A noise of pain left the grey troll as Poppy spoke these words, Creek shook his head, he turned back to the other male troll and said to him. “No I refuse to believe that! Don’t listen to her fight it!”

“Don’t you understand no matter how hard you try no troll can reach him.” Poppy said sadly coming to stand beside him, she shook her head at him and then spoke to Creek once more. “I don’t even know how you found him this deep in the darkness.”

“Found him…So this isn’t just a dream…I must be projecting astrally into his dreams…” Creek looked at the pink and purple thread running from him to this Poppy, he felt sure she wasn’t the pink troll he actually knew but this was in fact more of a representation of her. This left the purple troll wondering who exactly this other troll was, then suddenly a thought crossed his mind, the guru shook his head, he couldn’t be Branch there was just no way that it was possible that this was…Or was there…? As this thought came to him Creek decided to take a chance and he called out to him. “BRANCH!”

The grey troll’s ear twitched in his direction again, this confirmed to the guru that he was right about who this troll was and Creek tried to move forward towards Branch again but Poppy caught hold if his shoulder stopping him from doing so. The purple troll turned he looked at the princess by his side, quickly Creek pulled himself out of her grasp, Poppy shook her head at the other troll and then addressed him once again. “I told you Creek…You can’t reach him, you cannot convince him fight this, just leave him here.”

“No! I refuse to believe that!” Creek pulled on the pink thread, it didn’t give suddenly the darkness rushed in like a tunnel collapsing blocking him off from Branch and then the purple troll was falling. Creek jumped up in bed, he was breathing hard, his cheeks were wet with tears the guru sat there in his bead breathing hard, slowly his hands went up, he placed them onto the sides of his head and said to himself. “Branch…What was that…? Why did I see that…? What did it mean…? Branch with wings, a sword and colours…Were those his real colours?” Creek knew that he was unlikely to get the answers to his questions from Branch the grey troll was far to secretive and didn’t trust him in the slightest. Now the guru knew that the survivalist was hiding some rather large secrets Creek couldn’t help but feel sorry for the other troll the purple troll decided in that moment that he would keep a closer eye on the other troll, he would try to give Branch hope to fight the darkness with and that he would try as hard as he could to reach the other troll in his astral projections from now on.

 

Little did Creek know that he wasn’t the only troll to be awake that early in the morning, Branch was also sitting up in bed and unlike the other troll the dream didn’t frighten him, but he had to admit that tonight’s version of it had been very different from those which had come before it. The grey troll hadn’t dreamt of having his colours, the wings or the sword for a long time, and the purple fire hadn’t appeared in his dreams in a long time either. When the darkness had come Branch had heard a voice and felt a presence in his dream for the very first time, the grey troll was sure he had recognised that voice and presence but were from it seemed that he just couldn’t quiet remember. For the first time in a very long time the survivalist felt hope waking up deep within him and for once in his life Branch found that he couldn’t bring himself to squash the fragile stirring within him it felt nice. The grey troll wondered if he would hear that voice again or feel that other troll’s presence, there had been something soothing about tonight and Branch had felt he could trust that troll to help him. The grey troll quickly shook his head in an attempt to clear his tangled thoughts, letting out a deep sigh he climbed out of bed and got started with his day.


	2. Chapter Two

The second dream and the day after:

Creek had spent every night over the past few weeks trying to reach Branch’s dreams again but so far the guru hadn’t managed to achieve his aim, as the purple troll settled down to sleep that night he feeling even more determined than he had before to reach out to the survivalist. Shortly after he fell asleep the spiritual troll found himself in a field of multi coloured flowers, as he noticed this Creek let out a deep sigh, his shoulders drooped slightly as a feeling of defeat swept over him, he could help but feel that this bright and cheerful space just couldn’t belong to Branch. Then the purple troll heard childish giggling, he quickly looked in the direction of the laughter he could see a little blue troll kneeling in the flowers. Suddenly the guru realised this child was exactly the same shades as the spiritual troll had seen the survivalist with in the first dream and hope flooded through Creek as he began to think that maybe he had found Branch again at last. Quickly the purple troll walked through the flowers towards the little troll, when he reached the side of him Creek couldn’t help but smile he was making a flower crown. “That looks lovely who is it for?”

The sudden sound of a voice makes the little troll jumped in fright, he looked up at the guru with wide scared eyes, the purple troll watched as recognition quickly followed this first emotion and then slowly he smiled slightly at him. “I use to make them all the time for grandma…But then she left me and went to heaven…Now I don’t have any troll to give one to…Would you like it?” As the young troll asked this he held out the flower crown up towards him.

Creek looked at the flower crown in the hands of the younger troll, he suddenly realised the flowers were blue and purple roses and the symbolism of these flowers was not lost on him. On one level the guru didn’t wanted to accept these flowers, but on another much deeper Creek wanted to accept them, following these deeper instincts the purple troll knelt down in the flowers beside the younger troll and said to him. “I’d be honoured to accept your crown.” The huge joyful smile which spread over the little blue troll’s face and the sight of this smile made the spiritual troll long to see such a smile on the face of the adult Branch. Slowly the younger troll got to his feet, with the utmost care he placed the flower crown onto the head of the other troll and once he had done this Creek addressed him once more. “Are you Branch?”

“Yes…” The answer was very shy and the little troll curled into himself as he blushed.

Suddenly realisation struck Creek, like Poppy this was a representation, this was Branch before he was grey, this was even possibly the other troll’s inner child. “Where is the grown up you little one?” 

Slowly the little troll pointed to his left, as the purple troll looked in that direction he quickly noticed that there was nothing but inky darkness that way. “Are you the one he’s been looking for?” The troll child asked him with clear innocence and curiosity.

“The one he’s been looking for?” Creek asked the other troll deeply confused by this question.  
The young Branch gave him a nod and a spoke to him. “Yes…Big Branch has been looking for the special one with the purple flame for a long time…He doesn’t know it…But he is looking.”

“Why has he been looking for the one with the purple flame little one?”

The child took a few moments to think over its answer before saying to Creek. “That one is the one troll who can free him…The one who can reach him.”

“Thank you for telling me that.” 

The child troll acknowledged this thanks with a nod and then said softly, in a voice much older than it’s apparent years. “Never give up on him, the fire of hope maybe nothing more than a small ember but it’s can quickly become the strongest of infernos.”

Creek smiled at him, quickly he gave the younger troll a grateful nod, then rose to his feet and set off with determined strides into the darkness before him. The purple troll did not look back but if he had done he would have seen the younger Branch standing watching him hand in hand on one side with his younger self and on the other with his grandma.

The guru wasn’t sure how long he walked, but the darkness seemed to be never ending, there was no concept of time here and Creek found himself feeling sad for Branch it had to be terrible to be trapped in this place with no hope of rescue. “Branch!” The purple troll cried out hoping to find a clue in which direction he needed to go in, it seemed that calling out for the other troll was all he had ever needed to do because suddenly like magic the purple and grey thread he had seen before flared into life in front of his eyes. Shortly after it did so the pink and purple one came through the darkness this thread instantly headed towards the purple and grey one to connect to it but Creek caught hold of it before it could reach the other thread and pushed it to one side. “No…Leave it alone!”

It tried to do the same thing again, the purple troll caught hold of it once more, he held onto it tightly and yelled at the pink and purple thread with all of his might. “I said leave it alone!” Purple fire flared into life all around him, it’s power took Creeks breath away, he watched in amazement as when the fire touched the pink and purple thread it shrunk back from the fire. “Go! Leave!” The spiritual troll commanded the thread pointing away from him, the pink and purple thread slithered away from him into the darkness and once it was gone the fire around him went back out.

One the guru was sure that the other thread was gone Creek turned his attention back to the grey and purple thread, he placed his hand to the thread it lit with purple light like last time, it travelled along the thread and Creek raced after it hoping it would guide him to his goal.

Eventually purple light flared around the purple troll, as he noticed this the spiritual troll stopped running and then the light turned into the purple fire just like last time, it lit the area in front of Creek which highlighted the figure of the grey troll with his back to him once more. The purple troll instantly noticed that Branch was bound in exactly the same way as he had been before but he knew that this time there was nothing to stop him reaching the other troll. Creek gulped as sudden nerves trickled through him, quickly the guru threw them to one side, he stepped forwards through the purple fire which didn’t harm him in the slightest, it instead ran over his body flowing out around him like a purple phoenix fire. The spiritual troll walked around the kneeling figure of Branch, once Creek was standing in front of him he looked down at the defeated figure before him and felt pity for the other troll’s plight surge through him. Creek reached out towards Branch his fingers flexed just short of touching him, the purple troll gulped again, so many thoughts and worries were racing through his head but his most pressing concern was that when the grey troll realised who he was that the other troll wouldn’t let him help him. The purple troll shook his head trying to dislodge his worries, determinedly he clung onto the words of the child form of Branch, Creek refused to give up on the grey troll and he would nurse that tiny spark of hope inside of him until it became an inferno that was too bright for any more of this all consuming darkness to survive.

Ever so gently Creek slipped the fingers of his left hand under the chin of the grey troll, Branch gasped as he felt the touch and said softly with disbelief tinging his words. “Who…?”

With the utmost care the spiritual troll tilted the head of the other troll up, he had to hold back the horrified gasp which wanted to escape him, the eyes of Branch were pitch black and he clearly couldn’t see him as he was stared through Creek. “Who is there…? Please…”

The purple troll wasn’t quite sure were the words came from, they seemed to well up from some place deep inside of him and Creek didn’t think prevent the words as they spilt forth out of him. “I won’t hurt you…I’ve been looking for you…I didn’t know I was, but now I know I’ve always been looking for you. Hope is such a fragile thing I lost it when I couldn’t find you but now…Now I’ve found you my winged warrior…I thought I’d lost you forever and I refuse to lose you again.”

“You know what I am…? How…No other troll save my…” The words of the grey troll stopped for a moment before they began once again. “No other troll has ever seen my spirit.” Branch said in a broken voice, he tried to remove his head from Creek’s hold, but the purple troll refused to let him do so and realising that whoever this other troll was they were not going to let go of their hold of him the grey troll addressed him for a third time. “Just leave me here to perish, it’s my fate.”

Even though Creek knew he couldn’t see him, the purple troll shook his head violently at Branch, he swallowed back the tears which wanted to escape him and then said to the survivalist in a soft but emotional voice. “I won’t leave you here and I won’t let you perish, you are mine and you are more special then you can ever realise Branch, I’m only sorry I didn’t see that before now.”  
“I’m not special…”

The spiritual troll reached past the left shoulder of the grey troll, he very gently he touched one black chain encased wing. “Yes you are, I’ve never seen a troll with spirit wings before I’d only ever read about them…I wish I could see them again without these cursed chains…”

“Your voice…Your soul I feel like I know them both from long ago and far away…No…I shouldn’t let myself hope it will only be snuffed out again!” As he said these words, Branch tore his face out of Creek’s grip, the darkness around them roared like a giant beast and then collapsed in on them. As this happened the purple troll cried out in fear, before jerking upright in bed, he was gasping for breath, Creek shuddered, he wrapped his arms around himself and then wept for the other troll’s pain and suffering. The guru wasn’t sure how long he cried for but eventually the tears subsided, Creek climbed out of bed he paced around his pod he couldn’t let Branch go on like that, just entering the other troll’s dreams wasn’t going to be enough to help set the survivalist free the purple troll knew that now, Creek decided that he wanted to try and become closer to the other troll so that he could help Branch with more ease. The guru knew this wasn’t going to be easy thing to accomplish, still he had made promises to the grey troll and Creek wasn’t about to back down from them. The spiritual troll got out of bed, he quickly dressed and combed his hair before he left his pod, Creek made his way away from the troll village and went into the forest in search of Branch.

The purple troll eventually found the other troll he was looking for, before Creek could stop himself he let out a relived sigh at the sight of him. The guru walked over to Branch, at the sound of footsteps, the grey troll turned around, as he noticed it was Creek coming towards him the survivalist looked up at the sky mentally wondering what he had done to be punished by the presence of the other troll. “Good morning Branch!” The purple troll greeted cheerfully.

In return for this greeting Branch eyed the other troll with deep suspicion. “Did you want something Creek?”

“To talk to you.”

“Really what could you possibly want to talk to me about?”

Creek gulped this was one of the hardest things that he had ever had to do in his life before now but he knew he needed to do it and make sure Branch knew he meant what he was saying to him. “Well actually I don’t need to talk to you…I need to apologise to you Branch, I’m an idiot a massive idiot and I’m so sorry.”

Branch was stunned he’d never expected this from Creek, the survivalist eyed him with suspicion once more, then as teal blue eyes met the grey blue of the other troll he could see that the guru really did mean his apology, the grey troll blinked at the purple for a few moments before he said. “Well that was unexpected…Why the sudden apology?”

“I…It’s a bit hard to explain and you don’t really believe in my, what is it you call it…Oh yes spiritual mumbo jumbo…So I can’t really tell you why.”

This unusually ineloquent answer from the purple troll had Branch smiling slightly at the other troll and saying. “Only you could make the reason for your apology so mysterious.”

“Sorry it’s just very complicated, but I do mean my apology Branch I truly do. So what exactly are you up to this morning?”

“Oh I was collecting dawn blossoms, if you dry them they make an excellent tea.”

“Really…I didn’t know that, can I try some if you have any to spare?” 

Branch couldn’t quite believe that he was about to do this but for some reason it felt right to make a gesture to show he was willing to accept Creek’s apology. “Well I have enough for drying to make some more tea with for now. Would you like to come back to my bunker and share a cup of dawn blossom tea?”

The eyes of the purple troll shot wide, he was amazed that Branch was about to let him into his home, quickly Creek smiled at him and said. “I’d like that.”

They walked back to the grey troll’s bunker, the survivalist let Creek into his home, the purple troll settled himself onto one of the brown couches, a few moments later he heard Branch rustling around in the kitchen. The guru got to his feet, he went over to the doorway of the kitchen Creek found himself smiling at the rather homely sight of the grey troll bustling about the kitchen, this was a sight which the spiritual troll rather felt he could get used to seeing, before Branch noticed him and wondered what he was up to watching him in the way he was Creek quickly went back over to the sofa and sat down. A few moments later the survivalist came into the living room, carrying the tray, he put the tray onto the table and settled on the sofa beside Creek. The purple troll had never been this close to the other troll in a peaceful situation before, he had to admit this was nice, there was a tranquil aura coming off of Branch as he handed Creek one of the cups of dawn blossom tea. “Here.”

“Thank you.”

As Creek sipped the tea for the first time he had to admit Branch was right it was wonderful. “Wow this really is amazing.”

The grey troll gave him another small smile. “Are you conceding the fact that I do occasionally know what I am talking about?”

The guru couldn’t help but smile back at the survivalist sitting next to him as he said this before saying teasingly to him in return. “Hey, I’ll concede your right about somethings, but only if you’ll admit my spiritual knowledge isn’t worthless in return!”

These words managed to wrench a small huff of laughter out of Branch. “Not happening.”

Creek sipped his tea again to hide the grin that wanted to come across his face, the purple troll felt disappointment flaring in him when the tea was finished, but he couldn’t think of another reason to stay. As the two male troll’s stood on the surface above his bunker, the spiritual troll addressed Branch with absolute honesty. “I hope we can do this again.”

Once more the grey troll couldn’t quite believe he was saying this but it somehow felt right to say to Creek. “You are welcome to come and join me for tea again.” The guru smiled at him, he walked away heading back to the village, as he did so Creek made sure not to show to the other troll that he could feel Branch watching him. The grey troll watched the spiritual troll until he was out of sight, it had been a strange meeting with Creek but something inside him felt suddenly lighter than before, this left the survivalist wondering what was happening to him.


	3. Chapter Three

The third dream and after:

Two nights after this meeting Creek once more found himself standing in the darkness, he knew exactly what this meant he had found Branch once more. Quickly the guru looked down, he instantly noticed the grey and purple thread running away from him into the distance this was the first time it had appeared to him like this. Remembering what had happened last time during his time in the other trolls dreams the purple troll did the same thing he had done before and called out loudly. “BRANCH!”

Sure enough after the purple troll had shouted out his name the other troll appeared not far from him bound up in the chains as he always was, but this time he was facing towards Creek rather than away from him and the spiritual troll felt that this had to be a good sign. Quickly the guru walked towards him, once he had reached the other troll Creek very gently he lifted the face of the other troll, when he did this Branch’s completely black eyes opened and looked up through the spiritual troll. “Hello again Branch…”

“It’s you again…” He said in an awed whisper.

“Yes, I promised that I wouldn’t leave you here and I won’t Branch.”

“You really came back.” The voice of the grey troll was full of joy and wonder two emotions which Creek had never heard in the other troll’s voice before now but now he had heard them in his voice the guru wanted to hear it again. All of the thoughts of the purple troll were suddenly interrupted by Branch as he asked him in a very soft voice. “Why? I don’t understand, why you would want to come back here to help me?”

Creek was determined to never lie to Branch during these meetings so he said with complete honestly to the other troll. “I came back to you because I wanted to help you and because I don’t believe that any troll deserves to go through what you are.”

“Thank you for returning to me.”

The purple troll knew he couldn’t see him but Creek couldn’t help but smile at Branch. “You are welcome. Branch I have to ask you…You said you had felt my soul before when was that?”

“Yes I had felt it…It was a long time ago when I was young then you vanished along with…” The words of the grey troll disappeared and his face crumpled with sadness.

Not wanting the darkness to grow stronger from Branch being sad and not wanting to force the other troll to tell him something which so clearly upset him the guru said to him. “Well I am back with you now, this is what matters the most and I am not going any were Branch. I’m bonded to you, I don’t quite understand how or why it happened between us, but now I know about the bond we share I am not going to leave you here to suffer like this alone.” The purple troll released the chin of the other troll, slowly Creek got down on his knees, he pressed his forehead to that of the grey troll and then said softly to the survivalist. “Fight Branch, you can win over this I know you can.” As he spoke the purple troll watched with a smile growing on his face as the grey troll started to glow with a grey silver light from within.

“Fight…” Branch said this word softly as though it were a completely new word to him.

“You’re a lot stronger than you realise Branch. I want to see you as you were meant to be Branch with your wings, sword and colours returned to you.”

“You want to see me like that…Really?” The grey troll questioned with awe and as he asked the troll he couldn’t see this question the survivalist could feel hope and happiness waking up within him for the first time in a long time.

“Yes.” Creek told him with honesty.

With that single simple word the glowing of the grey troll grew brighter, Branch felt the feelings inside him growing stronger, for once the grey troll didn’t feel the need to punish himself by denying these feelings instead Branch embraced them and held them close to his heart. As the survivalist did this there was a sudden sharp metallic sound, it caused the guru to look up, as he did so Creek noticed the chains around Branch’s wings were cracking. “That’s it Branch you can do this.” After he had said this the spiritual troll gently reached out with one hand to touch the chained wing which twitched ever so slightly under his touch. There was another groan from the chains they started to shift from around Branch’s wings, some of them slipped away onto the floor, when they hit the floor the chains dissolved into nothing and Creek hoped with all of his might that they would never come back. “You’re doing wonderfully Branch.”

Clearly encouraged by the other troll’s words and the hope and happiness which this other troll had brought to him Branch’s glowing grew slightly brighter again. Creek smiled at other troll so very glad that he was starting to have an effect of the other troll’s state, he kept his hand on the wing and the guru watched with joy filled eyes as the chains around the wings cracked again as more of them fell away and then with several almighty bangs the black chains broke away from the wings at last. Creek didn’t move his hand to rest on the now chain free wing and he watched as it twitched clearly getting used to being free of the black chains one more. “May I touch your wings now they are free?” The purple troll asked him wanting to make sure that doing so wouldn’t hurt him.  
After a few moments of silence then he gave Creek a nod before he said to him. “Yes, you can touch my wings just be gentle.”

The guru lay one of his hands onto one wing, it was so very soft there was really nothing Creek felt he could compare the softness of this wing to and despite being semi-transparent it was actually solid to his touch. “It’s so soft.” As he said this the spiritual troll ran his hand over one wing.

As he did this Branch shivered and then said in a slightly breathy voice. “That feels nice…” Creek did the same again, lovingly petting his wing, eventually the grey troll started to let out small whines of pleasure which made the guru feel pleasure run through him. After a few moments of silence, the guru reluctantly took his hand from the wing and pressed his forehead back to Branch’s “You really do like my wings don’t you?” The grey troll asked him his voice very soft.

“Oh yes, I think they are the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Can I ask you something?”

“What do you want to ask?”

“Do you have these outside of your dreams?”

The survivalist blushed and then answered the question. “I can do…I started to hide them a long time ago now though…Being grey already made me odd enough as a troll I didn’t want to add the spiritual wings too.”

“I’d love to see you with them outside of dreams.” Creek admitted without a trace of shame to his voice.

Branch was thoughtful for a few moments before he spoke to the other troll once more. “Maybe when I feel strong enough I’ll make sure to show them…Won’t you tell me who you are?”

“I want to…But…” Creek couldn’t quiet find the words for what he wanted to say.

“But because you know me, and you worry if I know who you are I won’t accept your help…Does that cover it?”

“Yes…”

Slowly the grey troll did something which had Creek’s mouth opening wide, he smiled at him, it was only small but to the spiritual troll it was one of the most amazing things he had ever seen. “It’s alright I understand, I’m not upset by the fact you don’t want me to know who you are, because I know I’m not used to trusting any of the other trolls.”

“One day when you feel ready will you tell me how this happened to you?”

“I will…” After he spoke these words the dream faded away instead of ending abruptly like it had last couple of times. This meant that this time when Creek woke he wasn’t in a panic as he had been before instead he was smiling to himself. The purple troll got out of bed, he had a spring in his step as he got dressed, Creek ate some breakfast and while he did so the guru let his mind wander back over this night’s dream, he was pleased that some progress had been made with Branch, but Creek was as the grey troll had told him he was conserved that if survivalist knew who he was then the survivalist wouldn’t let him help him any more.

Quickly Creek shoved those negative thoughts to one side, instead he focused on his determination to befriend the other troll in the hopes that when at last Branch did realise it was him then he wouldn’t reject his help. Creek cleared up after his morning meal, after this he left his pod, the purple troll made his way through the troll village heading for the survivalist’s bunker in the hopes that he could join the grey troll in another cup of dawn flower tea. When the guru at last reached the hatch of the bunker he politely knocked on it, a few moments later it rose up to show Branch, who looked at him and spoke. “Hello Creek, can I help you this morning?”

“You said I could come by for tea at some other time…I hope you don’t mind me joining you this morning, I felt a sudden desire for dawn flower tea.”

“Actually we must have been thinking along the same lines as I was brewing myself some dawn flower tea, so you are welcome to join me again.”

Not needing a second invitation Creek followed Branch back down into his bunker, the purple troll sat down on the sofa just as he had last time, a short while later Branch came out of the kitchen and then he walked across the main room. The grey troll joined Creek on the sofa, he placed the tray down on the table, just like last time there were two steaming mugs of dawn flower tea on it, but unlike last time there was them a small plate with both chocolate chip and plain cookies also on the tray. “Wow cookies too…Did you make these?”

“Yes I did make them, I hope you enjoy them.”

Creek picked up one of the chocolate chip ones, he bit into it and he had to admit that it was the most wonderful cookie he had ever eaten. When he had eaten finished eating the chocolate chip cookie the purple troll turned to the survivalist sitting next to him and spoke to Branch. “Oh wow, these are absolutely amazing!”

“Thank you, I’m glad you like them.” As the grey troll said this he blushed.

“Like them, these taste even better than Biggies cookies! I had no idea you could cook like this. I think I just found my newest favourite treat!”

“Well now you know I can cook. Your new favourite treat huh…I’ll have to make sure that I remember that…I have a funny feeling you’re going to be turning up every time I make chocolate chip cookies from now on.” 

The purple troll smiled at the troll sitting beside him and said. “Yes you’re right now I do know you can cook, as for turning up every time you make the chocolate chip cookies I’ll try not to but I might…Look I know you don’t really believe in the same spiritual things I do but you have a very calm aura to you when we sit together like this enjoying tea.”

Branch was quiet for a few moments, just when Creek thought he might have overstepped some kind of boundary the grey troll spoke to him. “Maybe it’s because I am starting to feel more comfortable around you, which I never thought would happen, but I’ll admit I’m liking this change in our relationship.”

“I’m liking it too Branch.”

Once they had finished the tea and cookies, Branch cleaned up, he grabbed his back pack and the two male trolls made their way out of the bunker. Creek was surprised when the grey troll didn’t see him off as he had last time and started to walk alongside him instead, the purple troll looked at him with confusion and then said to Branch. “Are you keeping me company back to troll village?”

“Well I do need a few things in the village, I hope you don’t mind me coming with you?”

“No I don’t mind at all.” Creek assured the grey troll, he was in fact extremely happy to have Branch at his side, it felt right in a way that Poppy in the same place had never felt to him.

When the two male trolls came into the main area of the village, the snack pack watched them with clear amazement as Branch and Creek were not fighting they were in fact just talking seemingly easily with each other. They parted ways in the main square with the grey troll heading off to the shops and the guru walking over to were his friends were. When he reached them the snack pack really wanted to ask the purple troll what was going on between the two of them but they thought the better of it, because they felt that if Branch and Creek were willing to work towards some form of peace between them it wasn’t for them to ask how or why it was happening.


	4. Chapter Four

The fourth dream and the day after:

Three nights later Creek found himself in the dark again, he looked down quickly to see if the thread which connected him to Branch was there and sure enough it was. He was surprised and thrilled to discover that his link to the grey troll was more solid than it had been the past few times he had seen the thread. As the purple troll went to touch the purple and grey thread, a glowing blue hand stopped him, quickly the head of the guru shot up and he gazed at the sight before him with wide wonder filled eyes. Floating in the air before him emitting blue light was a semi-transparent blue Branch, his spirit wings were open wide behind him, as the gazes of the two male trolls met the blue troll smiled at the spiritual troll brilliantly. When he did this Creek caught his breath, the guru couldn’t help but think that the other troll looked handsome when he smiled like this, it made him feel joyful to see this smile and he longed to see that smile again and again. 

Slowly the glowing troll placed a soft kiss onto his forehead, Creek couldn’t stop himself as he leant into this gesture caring gesture. The feelings that this simple kiss sent racing through the guru made his heart flutter and his entire body fill with warmth. These strong feelings made Creek realise that he more than cared for Branch and he found himself hoping with all of his heart that this feeling was the same for the survivalist too. Reluctantly the blue troll pulled back from kissing his forehead, their gazes met again, the two trolls shared a smile and then the glowing troll addressed Creek. “Thank you for coming to free me.”

The purple troll swallowed hard, these simple yet heartfelt words made the guru feel so happy about helping the other troll as he was, and after a beat of silence Creek spoke to Branch’s spirit form. “You are welcome…I look forward to seeing you like this…It is a shame that you only have your wings in these dreams.”

Branch smiled at him in a teasing way, before leaning close to his ear and whispering to him. “Oh but I do have my wings outside of dreams, I just hide them.”

The eyes of the guru shot open wide again and as the winged troll pulled back and as he did so Creek couldn’t help but ask him. “Are you telling me the truth?”

“I am, it may not be easy to make me show them but I promise you that they are there. I assume that you are looking for my grey self? The blue troll asked him softly.

The spiritual troll gave him a nod, the spirit form of Branch pointed away from them and sure enough as Creek looked that way there was nothing but darkness. “Thank you.” The guru said to him before he turned to go into the darkness to find Branch once more, but before he could walk away from the blue troll one of his glowing hands landed on his shoulder stopping him from going any were. When the spirit of the other troll did this Creek quickly turned to look at him curious to see why the blue troll had stopped him from going to his other self.

The still floating Branch held an orb of glowing blue orb of light out to him in his other hand and spoke to the spiritual troll. “Here this will help you.”

“Thank you.” Creek said to him gratefully as he accepted it, the orb floated just above the palm of his left hand, with a nod of recognition for this thanks for his help the spirit of Branch released the shoulder of the guru, who now with this light to guide set off into the darkness to find the grey troll and help him once more.

This time with the light helping to light his path it didn’t take the guru long to find Branch, he was full of joy to see that the other troll still had his wings free, but at the same time sad to see that nothing else had changed for the grey troll. Determined to get to work on helping Branch Creek quickly crossed the space over to were the other troll was kneeling and knelt down in front of him just as he had done last time. “Hello again Branch.”

“Hello again…I missed you.” As he spoke these honest words the grey troll looked up at him with his black sightless eyes.

“Really?” Creek asked him with a touch of awe to his voice and hope in his heart that maybe just maybe Branch wouldn’t reject him when the time came for him to know who he was.

“Yes, I have been holding onto hope that you would keep your promise and return to me.”

Seeking to reassure the other troll the purple troll said softly but honestly. “I would never break my word to you.”

“I don’t know why but I trust you.”

The guru was touched and awed by the fact that the usually so cautious Branch was willing to trust him of all trolls like this. “Thank you, for giving me your trust Branch.” In return for the kiss the spirit of the grey troll had given him earlier on Creek gently kissed him on the forehead.  
Branch let out a gasp, as the guru did this to him, this act made him start to glow again, when he pulled back and noticed this fact Creek grinned at the other troll while he said to him. “That’s it Branch fight, let your hope grow.”

Though he said nothing in response to this the purple troll watched as the silvery light from within the other troll grew stronger, there was a sudden sound of metal snapping which caught Creeks attention and he wondered which chains were breaking away from the other troll now. The guru found out the answer to this a few moments later as slowly Branch’s arms came forwards, his hands found his shoulders and settled there. Then gently the grey troll ran his hands down his arms, it sent shivers of pleasure snaking through Creek’s body, he’d never felt like this before and he had to admit he rather liked this feeling which Branch was waking in him. 

Eventually the hands of the survivalist found his, the purple troll watched with wide eyes as the grey troll carefully threaded his fingers between his, Branch did this slowly as if he were unsure about what he was doing. The survivalist had to admit that he was rather nervous about doing this, it was a rather intimate gesture between two trolls, but he wanted to covey to this other troll that he cared for him a great deal and trusted him. To show the grey troll that he did like what he was doing Creek quickly closed his fingers over his hands and squeezed them both gently but firmly. As the survivalist held the other troll’s hands in his with his fingers between those of this troll he couldn’t see Branch felt a wave of peace spread through him and the grey troll was very glad when the other male troll squeezed his hands to show that him that he liked what he was doing. To the survivalist doing this with the troll he couldn’t see felt perfect, it was like he was supposed to be doing this with this other male troll. 

After sitting with the other male troll like this for a few moments the grey troll found himself wanting to do something which was more romantic in nature, so slowly enough that the other troll could stop him is he wanted to, the survivalist lifted the hands of the other troll keeping his fingers where they were, he gently kissed the back of one hand and then the other. Creek gasped with surprise and pleasure as Branch did this, he felt that this was a beautiful gesture on the part of the blind troll, it showed just as the spirit’s kiss on the forehead had that Branch was starting to care deeply for him even though he didn’t know who he was. “I shall miss you when I wake my purple flame.” The grey troll said to him honestly.

“I shall miss you too my winged warrior, but I will never be far from you, neither in your dreams or in your life I promise you this.”

“I am glad to know that you will be close to me…I hope that I get to know who you are soon.”

Creek felt all of his old concerns bubbling up in him again as Branch said this. “I…I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

Branch instantly picked up on the worry in the voice of the other troll. “Oh, my flame listen to me, do not doubt in yourself. I have given you my trust, so trust yourself, I am willing to let you guide me back out into the light and I would be distraught if I lost you to the darkness in the prosses.”

“You won’t lose me Branch I promise.”

“I’ve already lost one of the most important trolls in my life I don’t want to lose another…” The words of the grey troll tailed off and Creek instantly realised that this more than likely had something to do with how he became grey.

“It’s alright Branch, is the troll you lost your grandma?”

“Yes, how did you know that?”

“You mentioned her once before, so after you saying what you just did…I worked it out…If you don’t want to tell me exactly what happened that’s alright, but is her passing the reason you are grey?”

There were a few moments of silence, while Branch fought against the dark feelings which wanted to overwhelm him at the thought of the loss of his grandma and once he had those feelings back under control the grey troll spoke. “Yes.” Even as he said this one word the grey troll could feel the tears gathering.

“Losing her affected you a lot, didn’t it?” Creek didn’t need to hear the answer to that question as tears started to run down over the cheeks of the grey troll and instantly the guru regretted asking this second question. “I’m sorry that was thoughtless and stupid of me of course losing your grandma would have affected you negatively. I know you usually don’t like hugs, but may I hug you?” Branch gave him a nod, they released each other’s hands, Creek wrapped his arms around the survivalist and hugged the other troll close. 

Before Branch could really think about it he nestled closer to the one holding him and then the grey troll slipped his arms around the other troll. “Thank you for this.”

“Your welcome.” After a few more moments of hugging they pulled apart from them embrace. “When you feel ready we will talk about your grandma again, but I won’t mention her to you again until you do.”

“Thank you, I never really mourned grandma properly…But I think with your help I will feel ready to talk about grandma and to grieve her at last.” With this said Branch smiled slightly at Creek, it was with this small smile still on his face that the dream faded and the purple troll woke up. The guru lay on his bed looking up at the top of his pod, he felt so very happy to have seen those smiles on the face of the grey troll, Creek wished with all of his heart that he would get to see a smile on the face of Branch very soon. 

The purple troll dozed back off to sleep for a short while, when he woke once more Creek got out of bed, he dressed for the day ahead, he opened the door of his pod intending to leave when the guru noticed something sitting on his doorstep. Carefully Creek picked up the small grey bag, he carried it into the pod placed it down onto his kitchen table opened the bag and found inside a small white cardboard box and a simple small silver tin. The guru took out the white box, he opened it to find within a dozen chocolate chip cookies and as soon as Creek noticed this he grinned, because he felt sure he knew what would be in the tin with them. The purple troll brought out the small silver tin, he opened it up and sure enough within were tea bags and they smelt of dawn blossom. The smile on the face of the guru grew, he knew without a note or label exactly where this gift had come from and it filled him with with pleasure to think that Branch had been thoughtful enough to leave him such a wonderful gift. 

Then suddenly right at the bottom of the bag the purple troll noticed a folded piece of paper, the guru fished the paper out, he unfolded it and read what was written there. “Creek, I thought you might enjoy some tea and cookies. I have missed your company the past few mornings, I hope you will be willing to come to my bunker for tea tomorrow morning.” When he had finished this note Creek was blushing a bright shade of purple, this simple note made him feel a surge of joy, this was because Branch never invited other trolls into his bunker and the guru couldn’t help but feel that him doing so was a wonderful sign of good progress being made between them.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can’t write lyrics your warned!

The fifth dream and after:

After getting his note Creek had gone to spend the next morning with Branch in the bunker, together they had shared dawn blossom tea and cookies as the grey troll had wanted them too. After this visit the two trolls decided that they would come together every morning at the bunker to have tea and cookies together. Over the next couple of mornings as they drank tea and ate cookies they started by talking about Branch’s knowledge of the wild, plants, insects and animals. Creek soon discovered that the grey troll knew a lot about all of them, he knew what could harm and what could heal, and the guru had to admit that he actually found what Branch spoke to him about very fascinating. For the purple troll watching the survivalist open up to him made him feel as though he was receiving the most wonderful gift in the whole world, but at the same time having all this made him even more worried that he would lose all this when Branch discovered he had been the one helping him to become free. Every time they met Creek looked for his spirit wings, he couldn’t help himself they were something which he found truly beautiful and although he never did see them he trusted what the blue spirit had told him that they were there just hidden from sight.

It was four nights after the fourth dream encounter with Branch, that Creek was once more in the darkness, this time though he found the orb of blue light was waiting there for him, the thread was also right there and stronger than it had not been in the beginning of his campaign to free Branch of the darkness. As the purple troll stood there in the darkness cupping the orb of blue light in his hands he heard something, it took him a few moments to realise that what he was hearing was wings beating, smiling widely Creek ran in the direction of this sound and he soon found Branch. The guru stood there with huge eyes watching the grey troll with joy in his heart, the survivalist was actually moving his wings about, beating them every so often, after a few more moments of doing this he then settled his grey wings around him slightly, before reaching out to touch them gently and as Branch did so they glowed with silver light.

“I have found you again my Branch.” Creek said as he crossed the now less dark space.

The grey troll gave a slight start of surprise as he heard him, he moved his wings, then the survivalist turned his blind gaze in his direction and said with a small tranquil smile on his face. “Your Branch…I like that, I have been waiting for you to keep your promise to come back to me and now you have. It seems that my life both within and without the dreams is improving a lot…I have been making friends with a troll for the first time in years, I’ll admit that it feels good…Especially as he is a troll I used to be friends with as a child and well…”

“And well?” Creek prompted his heart thundering like a train as he wondered what Branch was going to say next and hoping that it would be something positive about him. 

“It was a long time ago and I don’t think he remembers…It was before we left the troll tree…One-time Creek was spotted by the Bergens I grabbed him and hid him from them…”

The grey blue eyes of the troll had gone wide again, he had to cover his mouth with his hand for a moment to stop himself from exclaiming over this story, because the spiritual troll did remember being saved he just didn’t remember which troll had done so. Quickly to cover this first reaction to Branch’s words Creek dropped his hand from his mouth and said to the other troll gently. “Maybe you should remind him, it’s possible that since it happened when you were both young that he doesn’t know which troll it was who helped him that day.”

“Maybe I will do that.” After he had spoken Branch surprised Creek once more as he lifted his arms and held them out open towards him before he said a little shyly to the other troll. “Come here I want to be able to hold you again.”

The purple troll certainly didn’t need to hear this twice, he walked quickly over to Branch he got down on his knees before him and then slowly took the hands of the grey troll guiding them to his shoulders. As soon as the survivalist felt Creek’s shoulders under his hands, he moved them slowly over his skin round onto his back before pulling him in for a hug and letting out a contented sigh. When Branch had moved his hands over his skin the guru had felt feelings of pleasure blooming inside him as it did when over the other troll touched him. The purple troll desperately wanted the survivalist to continue to keep running his hands over his skin, Creek had to bite his lip a little to stop the groan of desire that wanted to leave him as he thought about what it might be like for Branch to carry on running his hands over him as he had been. To distract himself from these thoughts Creek brought his arms around the grey troll hugging him, slowly he moved his right arm up, he ran his fingers into the black hair of the other troll and swallowed hard as he did this, because just like Branch kissing his hands in their last encounter this was something which was very intimate between two trolls and Creek hoped he wasn’t crossing some kind of line by doing his. The purple troll felt relief fill him as Branch didn’t remove his hand from his hair, instead he ran his left hand into his two tone hair and began to gently stroke his fingers through it.

How long they sat there like this holding each other and stroking their hands through each other’s hair Creek couldn’t say, time was a difficult concept in a place like this. Eventually though Branch brought his wings around them forming a cocoon of grey, which the purple troll had to admit made him feel absolutely safe. Then slowly the survivalist in his arms started to glow with silver light, the guru didn’t say a word he didn’t feel he had to instead the spiritual troll closed his eyes and found himself doing something he had never done with Branch before singing.

“You with the beautiful wings  
Hidden angel of mine.  
I search so long for you  
I couldn’t find you  
I thought you’d gone back to heaven  
Hidden angel of mine.

Your light shines in the darkness  
You’re the one I’ve been waiting for  
I hoped I prayed for you every day  
Hidden angel of mine you were the answer.

I lost you and it hurt more than I can say  
Hidden angel of mine.  
I longed to see your wings once more  
You’ve been the missing part of my puzzle  
You fill a space I didn’t even know was there  
Hidden angel of mine.

Your light shines in the darkness  
You’re the one I’ve been waiting for  
I hoped I prayed for you every day  
Hidden angel of mine you were the answer.

You with the beautiful wings  
Hidden angel of mine.  
Let me be a light to guide the way,  
Let me be the hope that frees you,  
Let there be no more darkness  
Hidden angel of mine.

Your light shines in the darkness  
You’re the one I’ve been waiting for  
I hoped I prayed for you every day  
Hidden angel of mine you were the answer.

My fire is yours, I hope it burns the darkness away  
Hidden angel of mine.  
I know it is you I have been searching for  
I want to say, I year to say  
My heart is yours now and always.  
Hidden angel of mine.

Your light shines in the darkness  
You’re the one I’ve been waiting for  
I hoped I prayed for you every day  
Hidden angel of mine one day I hope to see you wings…”

As Creek finished singing, he couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes, he couldn’t believe he had just told Branch that his heart belonged to him and he couldn’t help but feel like he’d probably just ruined everything which had been happening between them. Silence stretched, every second which passed felt like a life time to Creek as he waited for the words of rejection which he was sure were bound to be spoken by the other troll, what the guru wasn’t expecting was for lips to touch his in a feather light and all to brief kiss. The spiritual troll gasped his grey blue eyes flew open, before Creek could say anything to Branch there was a loud cracking sound and the grey troll let out a sigh of relief even as the guru asked him. “Did the chains just let go of your legs?”

“Yes…I want to stand up, but I don’t think I can do it alone, would you help me?”

“Of course I will.” So it was that carefully the two trolls released each other from their embrace, Creek gently helped Branch to stand up, as he did so the grey troll leant quiet heavily on the guru, but he didn’t complain as the survivalist did this, instead he slipped an arm around the waist of the other troll and supported him. After a few moments Branch started to lean less on Creek, standing more on his own, then slowly the grey troll moved back from the guru and finally stood on his own. The spiritual troll had to admit he hated losing the feeling of Branch being so close to him, all he wanted to do was grab the survivalist and drew him close to him once more.  
The grey troll smiled softly at Creek as he said to him. “This feels odd but good after being on my knees for so long. Thank you for helping me through all of this.”

“You still have your sight that needs returning…”

As he speaks Branch can hear from his tone of voice that he is worried. “You are still concerned about what my reaction to you is going to be aren’t you my flame?”

“Yes.” Creek admitted, as fear knotted his tummy up and released butterflies inside of him.

The grey troll shook his head at the other troll and said softly but clearly to him. “I may not be able to see you, but I know you are kind, I know you want to see me free which tells me a lot about you and I know you care for me. I do not think that I am going to be upset and disappointed when I discover who you are at last.”

“You sound very sure of that fact.”

“I am as sure as I can be without seeing you.” As he spoke Branch placed his left hand out touching it to one of one of Creek’s arms, then carefully the survivalist felt his way up the arm to the shoulder of the other troll and squeezed it gently but firmly in a gesture meant to convey comfort to the one he couldn’t see.

As always when the grey troll touched him and ran his hand over his skin like this the guru felt pleasure trickling through, he quickly bit back against a whimper of desire which wanted to leave him. Branch slowly lay his second hand onto the chest of the purple troll it was then he realised the other troll was topless, being topless wasn’t to unusual for male trolls so this fact didn’t trouble the survivalist in the slightest. Gently the grey troll moved his hand across the skin of the chest and it came to rest on the chest of the other troll over his heart and then he said to him gently. “Your heart is mine…I like that idea…” A few moments after this, his head followed the hand, he moved his grey hand to one side and then kissed his chest over his heart.

Creek gasped as Branch did this to him, this kiss sent all sorts of feelings coursing through the purple troll but the most overwhelming ones were happiness and pleasure. As the grey troll pulled back from him, the guru felt suddenly bereft, before Branch could think he hadn’t liked him doing this Creek quickly returned this gesture causing the survivalist to gasp with surprise and pleasure. When the other troll removed his lips from the skin of his chest over his heart Branch the grey troll smiled at him softly, he caught the hands of the other troll in his and said to him in unsure voice. “I think we just made our bond stronger…”

Creek could tell that they had indeed made their bond stronger and he wanted to make sure that the survivalist knew that what he was feeling that he was having was in fact correct. “Yes we did…I hope that is alright with you?”

“If I am happy to hear your heart is mine, why I be displeased by our bond becoming stronger? Think about it my flame.” After he spoke these words this dream faded away and Creek opened his eyes he lay in bed thinking about what Branch had said to him in this particular dream. After a few moments, the purple troll started to blush as realisation set in, he then let out a groan, the guru felt like such an idiot because it was in this moment that he realised that Branch had been developing romantic feelings for him without him realising it. Knowing this the guru felt like he was floating on a cloud for a few moments, before the worries he had been feeling ever since these dream meetings began, started to set in and the happy feelings quickly vanished. Quickly Creek covered his eyes with one arm, he let out a second groan as these negative thoughts tried to crowded in on him, it was then that he remembered something else Branch had said to him before, which was that he didn’t want to lose him to the darkness, recalling this caused Creek to quickly shove the negativity to one side determined to hope that somehow everything between them would be alright in the end.

A few hours later Creek was out of bed, he was dressed, the purple troll was just thinking about what he was going to do for the day, when a knock on the door drew his attention, quickly the spiritual troll crossed the room he opened the door and found standing on his doorstep a troll he hadn’t expected Branch. Slowly the grey troll looked up from the branch he was standing on, his teal eyes met his grey blue ones, he was clearly blushing and nervous as Branch spoke to him. “Do you mind if I join you in your pod for tea and cookies this morning?”

Creek’s eyes went wide he wasn’t able to believe that Branch was here and asking him, quickly he pulled himself out of his shock, he gave the other troll a nod, quickly he moved to one side, then gestured him into the pod and said at the same time. “Yes of course! I’d love to have you join me in my pod for tea and cookies please come in.” 

As he said this, the purple troll watched with awe inside his heart as Branch smiled at him ever so slightly and then came into the pod. Once he was in the pod, the survivalist placed his backpack down on a nearby table, he then looked around the pod before looking to its owner and saying. “It’s been such a long time since I was in a pod…Feels strange but I think I can get used to that.” After he said this the grey troll pulled out the backpack a box of cookies, followed by a small silver tin with dawn blossom tea bags in it, once he had done this Branch turned to Creek and then said to him. “I hope you don’t mind if you borrow your kitchen?”

“That’s not a problem.” As the purple troll said this Branch made his way into the pods kitchen and started to prepare the tea and cookies for them both. Creek stood in the doorway of the kitchen watching him just as he had done in the bunker, but this time he could almost picture the grey troll, now blue in colour again, Branch was in an apron bustling about this kitchen while he and their little child stood hand in hand in the doorway watching him as he worked away in the kitchen. The image he could see was so vivid that it took Creek’s breath away for a moment, he could almost feel the hand of the child in his and the purple troll hoped with all of his might that this vision would come to pass.

When Branch turned around to find Creek standing there watching him, he didn’t seem surprised to find him there, instead the grey troll simply tilted his head to one side looked at him with curiosity, this was a gesture which the guru found instantly endearing. The purple troll didn’t say anything to the other troll he moved back, then the guru walked over to his sofa, and Branch followed him. When the spiritual troll reached the sofa he sat down on it, when the survivalist reached the sofa he placed the tray onto the table at one end of the sofa and then sat down next to Creek. He lifted one mug of tea handed it to Creek who accepted it, after a few moments the survivalist also handed him a cookie which was on a napkin with a smile for Branch the purple troll took this in the other hand from his tea and settled it into his lap before sipping the tea for a moment. After sipping his tea Creek settled it on the table on his end of the sofa he also placed the cookie on the table with it, before turning his attention to Branch and asking him. “Why did you decide to come to see me today?”

“Well…There are two reasons one was because I felt it was time I came to you for tea. As for the other reason I came to see you today because I had a dream last night and well you always say they are important and this one felt special…Sorry I’m not used to thinking or talking about spiritual things like this but…Well here we go…Years ago when we were young you were almost caught by Bergans, I was the one who grabbed you, quietened you and concealed you from them.”

Despite the fact that Creek had been hoping that Branch might tell him about this, he hadn’t been expecting this at all and so the expression of shock on his face was genuine as to was the surprise in his voice as he said. “I wondered for years who it was who saved me from me from them. That was really you?” Branch blushed again but gave him a nod in answer to this question, he set down his cup of tea on the table, noticing this fact Creek put his arms around the grey troll and hugged the other troll close to him. The survivalist let out a small sigh of relief, he slowly brought his arms around the purple troll and held him in return a little nervous to be doing this for the first time outside of his dreams. “Thank you.” Creek said to him, Branch could hear the gratefulness in those two words and it made him feel amazing to know that the guru was thankful that he had helped him. Branch’s heart felt suddenly a lot lighter than it had before now, it made him feel truly glad that he had listened to the troll he dreamt of and told Creek about what had happened between then so many years ago.

After a few moments the two male trolls broke this hug, they didn’t say anything to each other about the fact that this was Branch’s first hug, instead they just sat side by side in a companionable silence sipping their tea and eating cookies together. When they finished doing so they tidied up together, doing this with Branch took Creek right back to his earlier image of the grey troll in the kitchen of his pod and he could now see how such a relationship might be possible between the two of them. Once the survivalist had finished the tidying up with the purple troll he put the silver tin he had brought with him today back into his backpack and turned towards Creek. “Do you need any more dawn blossom tea yet?”

“If you wouldn’t mind giving me some more then I’d be grateful for some.”

“I will admit that since you seemed to like it as much as I do I have been drying extra dawn blossom in order to make more tea.”

Creek chuckled slightly as Branch said this to him and then addressed the other troll in a rueful tone of voice. “I should have known that you being as observant as you are and as forward planning as you are that you would have started making more dawn blossom tea so that we would both have enough to drink.”

The grey troll gave him another one of his small half smiles, instantly Creek’s heart fluttered at the sight of this small smile. He turned back to his bag he opened the front pocket of his backpack Branch pulled out some tea bags in a small semi-transparent bag and he held them out to the guru. Seeing this Creek walked over to him, he took the bag from him, but as the purple troll took the bag he let his hand linger on Branch’s and he met the startled teal gaze of the survivalist. The spiritual troll called up all of his bravery, he quickly pocketed the tea bags before taking Branch’s hand back into his, he lifted it to his lips and placed a kiss onto the back of that hand keeping his eyes locked with those of the grey troll as he did this. The survivalist couldn’t quite make sense out of why Creek was doing this, but he knew he was blushing and he could feel his heart was thundering in his chest. There was a feeling he’d never felt in his life before now was unfurling itself inside him like a beautiful flower, the grey troll had to admit wasn’t at all sure what this new feeling was but he liked this feeling and wanted to hold onto it. 

When the purple troll finally released his hand, at first Branch didn’t know what to do, there were so many thoughts and feelings which were tumbling over themselves inside him at that moment. His breathing was short and shallow, the grey troll felt the blush on his cheeks growing brighter, suddenly Branch swept up his back pack and then he placed it onto his back. The survivalist quickly moved forward towards the other troll, he placed a short sharp kiss to Creek’s cheek before he pulled open the door of the pod open and then dashed out of the pod and off into the village. The purple troll stood in the doorway watching the survivalist run away from him, his hand was on the cheek Branch had kissed, Creek was smiling and blushing at the same time and he felt absolutely thrilled by this reaction to his actions from the grey troll.


	6. Chapter Six

The sixth dream and after:

Over the next two days the two male trolls still met every morning for tea, sometimes it was in the bunker and at other times in Creek’s pod. Despite these regular meetings neither of them had spoken about the two kisses or the feelings of love that they were developing for each other even though they both wanted to do so, they just couldn’t find the right words to talk about what was happening between the two of them at this time. The third night after he had set Branch’s legs free as Creek settled down to sleep that night he found himself wondering if this would be the night when he would see the grey troll once more, the purple troll knew that all that was left the be restored to Branch now was the broken sword, his sightless eyes and his colours. The purple troll had been a bit ashamed that he had almost forgotten about his winged warrior’s colours and sword, he’d been so focused on his sight and that the restoration of this might make him lose Branch, that they had completely slipped from his mind until just a few days ago.

Creek let out a deep sigh he hoped on one level that he would just fix the sword when they next met so he would be able to have two more dreams with Branch after that, but on another less selfish level the spiritual troll couldn’t help but hope that he could restore all three of these things to the other troll in the same dream. With these conflicting feelings warring within him the purple troll closed his eyes, he was soon fast asleep, it didn’t take Creek long after he fell asleep to find himself in the flower field where he had met the younger Branch once before. The child wasn’t there this time but as he looked across the field of flowers he realised that the grey troll was standing at the edge of the darkness at one end of the field apparently waiting there for him.

Quickly Creek made his way across the field of flowers to were Branch was standing, when he reached the other troll the purple troll reached into the darkness and took hold of one of his hands before addressing him. “Hello Branch.”

As the hands of the other troll touched his, the survivalist gave a start of surprise, but when he heard the voice of the one who had been helping to free him, Branch smiled slowly and eagerly took hold of his hands. “Welcome back my flame.”

“You are so close to the light now can’t you step out into it my winged warrior?” Creek asked him in a soft voice as he wondered why the grey troll was standing were he was.

Branch blushed, he looked down for a moment, the grey troll shook his head and then said to him. “I didn’t feel I could just yet and I didn’t think I could without you beside me so I’ve been waiting for you to come to me again.”

“Branch…” Creek found he was far too emotional after this confession from the other troll to say anything more to him at this time, so instead he used the hold he had on the hands of the survivalist to gently pull the grey troll out of the darkness into the light of the flower field with him. As soon as Branch set foot out of the darkness he had been trapped in for so long and into the light, colour flooded through him making his skin turn teal blue and his hair become royal blue once more. Creek watched with awe as the hair did more than change colour, it grew taller and formed into a new shape, which the purple troll had to admit looked rather handsome on the survivalist. Creek couldn’t stop the exclamation of joy that came out of him at the sight of this transformation, nor did he stop himself from feeling the overwhelming surge of happiness which was spreading through him as he said to the other troll. “Oh Branch you have your colours again and your hair it’s taller now and has such a wonderful shape now.”

“Good I am glad to hear that I have my colours back once more. I admit that it will be interesting to see what my hair looks like now.” It was only as he spoke these words that Creek realised his eyes were still completely dark.

Creek smiled sadly at the other troll as he noticed his still dark eyes but gave his hands a comforting squeeze. “I hope you will get to see all of the changes which had have happened to you soon and that this also means you will regain your colours outside of these dreams.”

Slowly Branch smiled at him, he bent his head forward placing his forehead to that of the other troll and said softly to him. “I have to admit I never thought I’d say this but I hope I get to see my colours again soon to both in my dreams and in my life. Oh I almost forgot I meant to tell you that I took your advice, I told Creek I had been the one to save him all those years ago…He was pleased by the news. We hugged, it felt a little strange to willingly hug another troll after so long but at the same time it also felt good. Lately I’ve been thinking that grandma would have approved of the changes in my life…I’ve punished myself for her death for such a long time…” The words of the grey troll faded away, as always when he spoke of his grandma Branch felt the weight of guilt crashing down on him as well as deep sadness filling him.

As the hands of the troll he couldn’t see squeezed his again offering him his unconditional support, the survivalist felt that soon he would have the strength to tell this other troll exactly what had happened to him so long ago to make him choose to live his life like this. Creek hated looking at the expression of agony on the face of the blue troll, he was well aware that thinking of his grandma caused Branch pain and as the spiritual troll couldn’t stand seeing the one he loved in so much pain he decided to distract him from the hurt he was feeling by saying to the survivalist. “So I still need to repair that sword of yours where are you hiding it Branch?”

Glad to be distracted from his gloomy thoughts and painful feelings by the other troll Branch quickly answered this question. “I’ll need my hands back to make it appear.”

Creek reluctantly let go of Branch’s hands, he held them out palms up in front of him, the spiritual troll watched with wide eyes as teal blue light filled the other troll’s hands and the sword broken into its three pieces appeared there in his palms. Gently Creek touch the bottom part of the blue blade, then the middle section and lastly the hilt, after he had done this the guru frowned thoughtfully for a few moments trying to think how he could possibly be able to repair the broken sword. Then he remembered he was the purple flame, fire was used to forge swords, this made the purple troll think that maybe, he could use his flame to repair the blue sword. “Branch I think my flame might be able to repair your sword may I try it?”

“I trust you, so yes you may try to repair my sword with your flame.”

“Thank you.” Creek carefully took the three pieces of the sword out of Branch’s hands, the purple troll concentrated on them and bringing forward his purple fire. After a few moments the purple flames flickered into life around him before it ran over his skin, when the flames reached the blue sword it glowed with a teal blue light which mixed with the purple flames and together they became a blue and purple fire. Creek kept concentrating on the fact he wanted the sword fixed once more and slowly within the teal blue and purple fire the pieces of the broken sword started to come together once more. After a few more moments the sword was finally repaired as one long glowing blade, when this happened it glowed brightly with royal blue light within the two tone fire. Seeing that the sword was now whole again Creek let his fire fall back into him, he then smiled at the fixed sword, before he looked to Branch and told him with happiness. “It worked.”

After he said this Creek pressed the hilt of the sword into the palm of the right hand of the blue troll, who slowly closed his fingers around it, before he then carefully ran the fingers of his left hand along the glowing blue blade, once he had done this Branch smiled widely at the purple troll and said joyfully. “It really is complete again…It’s been broken for so long…Just like the rest of me…I can never thank you enough for making me complete once more my flame.”

“Branch you don’t need to thank me, I’m just so glad I’ve been able to help you in the way I have. I never expect this to happen but I wouldn’t change anything which has happened between us.” Creek told him meaning every word of what he was saying to Branch.

Hearing these words for the troll who he had been falling in love with over the durations of these meetings made Branch feel those same wonderful warm feelings he had felt around the other troll before remerge in him, hastily the now blue troll embraced these feelings determined to hold onto them for as long as he possibly could. Quickly the survivalist made his sword vanish, once he had done this Branch reached out towards the other troll, his seeking hands found his chest, the survivalist rested his hands there palms flat on his skin and then said to him with honesty. “I wouldn’t change anything which has happened between us either.”

Feeling those hands on him as always made the purple troll feel pleasure, but as much as he wanted to enjoy this feeling, other negative ones were already clouding in as they always did despite all of Branch’s attempts to reassure him about their situation. “Branch I want to return your sight…But I also want to be able to meet with you like this one last time.” Creek confessed to the other troll his voice trembling with the conflicting emotions he was feeling at this time.

“Oh my flame I understand that you are as you have been for some time scared of my reaction, but I am sure once that I see you this meeting it will not be the last one…”

Creek interrupted him suddenly and his eyes were filling with tears and as they ran over onto his cheeks he voiced his concerns to the blue troll. “But when you see me you might hate me or you might never forgive me for hiding who I am from you.”

“It will be alright I am sure it will be, but if you feel you need to wait until we meet again then I will wait for you to return to me again.” Branch told him wanting as he always did to comfort him and help the troll he couldn’t see to be able to get rid of these negative emotions so that he could finally get to find out who he was. Slowly the survivalist ran his hands up the chest of the other troll, feeling his way over his skin until he found the face of the other troll, as soon as Branch found his face he could feel the tears on his cheeks and very gently the blue troll wiped the tears away. “Don’t cry my flame, I’d rather stay blind like this then have you cry…”

As the purple troll managed to get his tears back under control, he couldn’t help but feel hugely grateful for the other trolls understanding and a massive amount of guilt for the fact he couldn’t help the one he loved because of his own fears. “Oh Branch…What did I do to deserve you?” Creek asked his voice full of both joyful and sad emotion at the same time.

Slowly the blue troll smiled at him, he was glad to hear some happiness breaking into his voice again and said very softly to the other troll. “You did as much as I did to deserve you, you were yourself.”

These words were so very deep and spiritual they struck right at the deepest part of Creek, he’d never heard Branch talk in this way before now, this confirmed to the purple troll right along with the wings and the sword that the other troll was in fact very spiritual, and more than probably like himself had been since his childhood years. “I’ve never heard you speak like that before now…You’re really very spiritual, aren’t you?” The blue troll blushed slightly as the one he loved asked him this question, but he gave the other troll a nod and the purple troll then said to him with determination and confidence starting to fill him. “I’m glad to know that. I am not going to leave you blind…I might be afraid, but leaving you like this is not an option Branch it was never going to be an option.”

Gently Creek placed his hands onto the cheeks of the blue troll carefully mirroring the gesture of the other troll, softly the purple troll stroked his fingers over Branch’s cheeks and the survivalist leant into this gesture as he said to him softly. “My sight will wait until you feel ready to return it to me my flame.” Creek didn’t get a chance to answer these words from the other troll because the dream faded away and the purple troll woke up in his bed. Quickly the guru quickly got out of bed, he pulled his cloths, then as Creek nibbled on cookies as he paced around his pod, he felt hugely guilty for not restoring Branch’s sight while he had the chance, but at the same time the purple troll felt glad about the progress he had made with the other troll and he hoped that this would mean that eventually Branch would regain his colours outside of the dreams. The spiritual troll quickly brought himself under control he didn’t want Branch to find him in this state when he arrived at his pod for their morning ritual of tea and cookies. Creek also decided at this time that no matter what, no matter how he felt that he would return the sight to the other troll in their next encounter and hope with all his heart Branch wouldn’t reject him in the way Creek couldn’t stop fearing that the other troll would.


	7. Chapter Seven

The seventh dream and after:

Branch knew that something was bothering Creek, he wanted to talk to the other troll about his troubles, but he was terrified that by doing so he would inadvertently show the purple troll that he was now in love with him. Still Branch did his best to sooth the other troll whenever they spent time together, but eventually after four days the grey troll who was sitting on the sofa in the purple troll’s pod decided that he had to say something to the guru to try and help him with the situation was in. So, it was that once they finished their dawn blossom tea and cookies Branch caught one of Creek’s hands in his and held it firmly in his own. 

The purple troll felt fear and confusion warning in him as the survivalist did this, he waited quietly to see what the other troll was going to say or do and after a few moments Branch spoke to him. “Creek…I know something is wrong…I won’t ask you what it is…If you want to tell me that’s one thing but I’m not going to push you into confiding in me if you don’t want to. I know what it’s like to run from things you think are going to hurt you Creek…But I also know that if you run away and don’t let any troll help you that you can end up just like me and I don’t want to see that happen to you Creek.” Once he had finished speaking Branch drew the hand he was holding up he kissed the back of it and then spoke to the other troll once more. “If this is about those two kisses we sheared then, well I hope this will help ease your concerns.” After he said this the grey troll despite feeling uncertain, very gently kissed the purple troll on the lips hoping with all his might that Creek wouldn’t hate him for taking this bold risk.

The spiritual troll took a deep shocked breath as Branch softly kissed him, everything inside the guru froze he couldn’t believe that this was happening, he’d only ever day dreamed that the grey troll might kiss him before now and instead now his dream was a reality. Slowly the survivalist drew back from this first kiss, his heart was thundering, worry was marching through him, Branch gulped and then said in a tiny voice. “I’m sorry did I overstep a boundary Creek?”

The purple troll opened his mouth, but Creek just couldn’t find any words to express the euphoric feelings which he was feeling in that moment, but Branch seeing the other troll sitting there staring at him open mouthed felt that he had just made one of the hugest mistakes in his life. He abruptly stood up, the survivalist ran across the pod swept his backpack up onto his shoulders, before he fled out of the pod and into the village. Realising what was happening because of his shocked reaction to the kiss Creek was quickly on his feet, he came after the other troll, the purple troll reached out to grab Branch, but he narrowly missed grabbing hold of his backpack, he shot out of his pod in hot pursuit of the survivalist. As the two trolls dashed passed the other troll’s through the tree they watched them with complete confusion but none of them dared to get in their way. “BRANCH!” Creek screamed with all his might. “BRANCH STOP!”

The grey troll though didn’t stop fear had to firm of a hold on him for that, he felt so stupid, they had both been so willing to forget those first two kisses, what did he think would happen if he crossed that line again. Now Branch felt sure he had just gone lost the first friend he’d managed to make in many years, he was so stupid, all the grey troll wanted was to get back to his bunker and forget he’s ever done something so idiotic.

Creek knew he just had to do something to stop Branch or he would probably not see him ever again, right now the purple troll didn’t care of doing something meant that the grey troll worked out he was his flame. The guru called on all of his reserves, he pushed himself into a slightly faster run, he reached out towards the grey troll again, he was just so close but at the same time too far to be able to stop him. Creek came to a sudden halt as a huge bug lumbered out of the undergrowth ahead of him, and once the spiritual troll had managed to get around it branch was gone. The guru knew that the grey troll would have gone back to his bunker and as tempted to go there as he was Creek knew that Branch wouldn’t let him in, he would just have to wait until Branch surfaced for supplies and take his chance with the other troll then. That was if they didn’t encounter each other in their dreams first, then it would be impossible to say what might happen between them once Branch could see him. With these thoughts going around his head and feeling like a fool for not kissing the survivalist back or at least saying something to him, the purple troll made his way back to his pod in the troll tree.

It was two nights after this that the guru found himself in the field of flowers again, Branch was standing before him, his wings were open wide behind him and he was still blue. Creek found himself smiling at this sight, the other troll looked absolutely wonderful like this and the spiritual troll was very proud of his work. It didn’t take the purple troll long to reach the other troll, once he reached the survivalist he walked around Branch to stand in front of him and the guru took his hands into his.

When Creek did this the still blind blue troll smiled widely at him and then said softly to him. “Hello my flame.”

“How did you know it was me?” The guru asked him with surprise.

“I may not be able to see you my flame, but I do know your touch now. I am glad you have returned to me.”

“I said I wouldn’t leave you like this and I meant it Branch.”

Slowly the survivalist smiled at him, he gently lay his forehead to that of the other troll, he placed his hands up onto the cheeks of his flame and said in a tranquil tone of voice. “I know you meant it and I also meant what I said, my sight will wait until you feel strong enough to return it to me.”

The purple troll shook his head at Branch as he spoke those words and it was this these words which made Creek find his bravery, as he truly wasn’t about to let the other troll wait a moment longer to be able to see again. “No, the longer I wait, the more frightened I will become and I will keep find excuses not to restore it to you, just so I can selfishly keep you to myself and you don’t deserve that. Branch please close your eyes for me.”

With a nod Branch removed his hands from the face of the other troll, the blue troll closed his eyes and waited quietly for the other troll to do to him whatever it was that he was going to do to him in order to restore his sight to him once more. The spiritual troll moved his hands up to rest onto the sides of the survivalist’s face, then he moved in, Creek gently kissed one eyelid and then the other. After he did this a shiver worked its way through Branch and the purple troll watched as black tears leaked out of the closed eyes of the survivalist. When they finally stopped falling, the guru gently wiped the black tracks the tears of darkness had left on his cheeks off of them, he took his hands away from the other troll and then stepped back from him. “Open your eyes Branch, it’s done at last.”

Very slowly the teal eyes of the blue troll opened, he blinked once, then did so again Branch could hardly believe who was standing before him and when his spoke his voice was full of the disbelief he was feeling in this moment. “Creek…?”

The purple troll looked down at the flowers as the survivalist said this, as he heard the tone of the other troll’s voice Creek couldn’t help but feel absolute fear swarming over him, unable to stand what might come next from the other troll he took another step back from Branch, the guru then turned and dashes away from the blue troll as quickly as he could. Just as Creek had done a few days earlier the survivalist reached out after the feeling spiritual troll with one hand, desperation was filling him as he did this and Branch cried out after him with distress in his voice. “Creek!” It was at this moment that the grey troll woke up in bed, he was sitting bolt upright, the survivalist was still reaching out and calling the name of the guru. “Creek! Creek…”

Slowly the survivalist wrapped his arms around himself and he shivered violently, Branch sat there in his bed staring at his bed clothes without seeing them. So many thoughts were running through his head but there were two overriding things he found himself dwelling on, firstly was the fact that he now knew how his running away must have felt to Creek which was terrible, second thing the grey troll also knew was that he wasn’t going to lose Creek, he had fallen in love with him in his dreams and had started to fall in love with the other troll outside of them too. Knowing that the spiritual troll was his flame and that they were bonded together on some deep spiritual level didn’t disturb him in any way in fact he felt remarkably tranquil about this fact. Branch knew that he had to find some way to let Creek know that he loved him, as well as he accepted him as his flame now and always. 

Then suddenly the grey troll knew exactly what he was going to do, quickly the grey troll got out of bed, he threw his leaf vest off and then stood in front of the mirror looking at himself. Branch took a deep breath before he let it back out, he closed his eyes then the survivalist let all of the good feelings he had been experiencing with Creek flow over him, and at the same time as the grey troll did this he told himself his grandma would want him to be happy with the troll he loved. Slowly Branch opened his eyes, he was glad to see his positive thoughts had worked, his skin was teal blue, his hair was royal blue, it was taller and formed a new shape which as Creek had predicted the survivalist found that he liked a lot. As he stood there staring at himself in the mirror with his now blue colours Branch was sure that he could see his grandma standing behind his right shoulder smiling at him, he smiled back at her and then she was gone again, but from this the survivalist knew that his grandma certainly approved of what he was doing.

Branch knew he wasn’t done with what he wanted to do yet in order to show Creek he loved him, the blue troll took another deep breath, he let it out, then he concentrated very hard and a few moments later wide teal blue spiritual angelic like wings opened up each side of him. The survivalist moved them about for a few moments just letting himself get use to them being there once more, when Branch at last felt ready to do what he needed to do next the blue troll left his bunker without putting his vest back on. Branch walked to the troll village, he made his way through the village, when the survivalist arrived at Creek’s pod he thought about knocking but the blue troll felt sure that the guru wouldn’t answer him. So instead of doing so Branch walked a little way from the pod he found a spot on the troll tree where he knew that when Creek opened his door he would see him, it was here that survivalist sat down on the branch there, he opened his wings up wide behind him and waited for the one he loved to come out of his pod.

Creek hadn’t wanted to leave his pod, he’d just wanted to stay in his pod and hide from the rest of the troll tree for the next few days, the purple troll was hoping that maybe over this time Branch would become less angry with him then he was likely to be at this time, but Creek knew that the snack pack where expecting him to join them today and if he didn’t arrive they would worry about him which was the last thing which the spiritual troll needed at the moment. Creek opened the door to his pod intending to set off for the day, but instead of doing so he stopped dead in his tracks as surprise welled up in him, convinced he was either seeing things or dreaming Creek quickly brought his hands up and rubbed his eyes. When he took his hands away from his grey blue eyes, the purple troll slowly opened his eyes half expecting what he had seen to be gone again, but much to his increasing amazement the blue winged Branch was still sitting on the branch not far from his pod looking out at the view from the troll tree. The guru took a deep breath, Creek could hardly believe that he was seeing the sight before him but the purple troll knew he was and the guru felt a million different things all at once.

Branch turned his attention away from the view, he turned in the direction of the pod of the spiritual troll, as he noticed Creek standing in the door way he felt joy and love bubbling up in him, the blue troll smiled at him and then held a hand out towards the other troll. As Branch held his hand out towards him and smiled at him in the way he had longed to see him smile, the guru was convinced his heart was about to beat its way right out of his chest. Creek walked towards Branch, he walked passed the rest of the snack pack, they all watched him with curious eyes but felt that at this time it was best not to ask their friend any questions about what was happening. The purple troll stood there looking down at the survivalist with complete awe in his heart, he gently slipped his hand into that of the other troll and Branch then came up onto his feet still holding that hand.

After a few moments of silence Creek finally managed to locate his voice and say. “Branch…You…Oh my winged warrior.”

The blue troll smiled widely at him again, he felt so happy and at peace now that he was whole once more and in the presence of the one he loved. “Hello my flame and my love. I had hoped that this might get your attention.” Creek found himself smiling back at the other troll, Branch used the hold he had on the hand of the other troll to draw him in and hugged the guru close to him before saying to the spiritual troll. “I love you Creek and I am glad you are my flame.”

The purple troll took a deep breath as Branch spoke these words, Creek felt relief trickle through him, he smiled slowly and the guru returned the embrace of the other troll. “You don’t hate me…You love me…Thank goodness.” As he spoke the relief he was feeling inside was obvious in his voice.

Slowly the survivalist pulled back from the embrace, the blue troll lifted one hand, he gently ran his fingers over the lips of the purple troll. This action sent pleasure thundering through Creek, quickly he pulled the hand on his lips away from them, before he plunged in and kissed Branch. As soon as the lips of the guru’s found his, the blue troll ran his hands into Creeks hair clinging to the other troll as they kissed, the two trolls broke apart for some short breaths before kissing again and again, it was quite clear that neither troll could get enough of the other. At last they stopped kissing, Creek stared at Branch with wide wonder filled eyes, he wasn’t quite able to believe this was happening to him, but the spiritual troll was glad that it was. Slowly Branch took his hands out of Creek’s hair, the guru grabbed one of his hands, together they walked back to his pod and once they were inside the purple troll closed the door behind them. The snack pack looked at each other, the friends had questions they wanted to ask but the group of them were well aware that now wasn’t the right time to be disturbing the pair of trolls.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’ll admit there is part of this chapter I find adorably cute and I’m sure that you’ll be able to work out which part it is!

After the dreams:

Branch and Creek becoming a romantic couple had shocked most of the troll tree to begin with, but they soon got to see that this couple were very much in love and were more than likely going to stay together for the rest of their lives. The trolls of the troll tree soon discovered that the now blue troll though somewhat different from as he had once been, wasn’t completely changed from his old grey self, Branch was still often cautious, observant and a planner. The spiritual troll had to admit that he was happy to see some of the grey troll he had always known was still there in the now blue troll, at the same time though Creek was just as glad to see the changes which had happened in the other troll thanks to him setting him free of his old state.

Over time Branch had made friends with the rest of the snack pack and settled in well as one of the members of the group, quiet often he would be referred to by the rest of the trolls as the sensible one of their group. When the blue troll had finally shown off his angelic singing voice for the first time, Creek had been so proud to be able to say that this troll was his and the purple troll liked to encourage his boyfriend to sing as often as possible. The guru had to admit that as their relationship had grown even stronger he loved being able to refer to his winged warrior as his boyfriend and he knew that Branch had the same feelings about being able to give him the same title. 

It was shortly after they started to call each other boyfriends that the blue troll had confided in him about what had happened to his grandma. It was evening, the two trolls were cuddled up on the sofa in Creek’s pod, as they sat there together Branch felt ready to talk to the one he loved about his grandma, he knew that the guru wouldn’t judge him for what had happened to her, so the blue troll took a deep breath and then in a wavering emotional voice Branch began to speak to Creek. “When I was young, I was singing loudly one day, I didn’t see the Bergen Chef coming for me. My grandma tried to warn me, but I couldn’t hear her because of my noisy singing, so she pushed me out of the way and was taken in my place. Grandma was the only family I had left, I felt it was my fault she was taken, that I didn’t deserve to be happy or sing ever again and so I turned grey.”

As he listened to this story compassion and sadness filled Creek and once the other troll had finished speaking, he hugged the other troll close to him and then said softly to the one he loved. “Oh love, it wasn’t your fault you…I am sure that if she were here now your grandma would tell you that, I am sure that she would have wanted nothing more than for you to live and be happy.”

Branch gave him a nod, despite feeling a little sad he was determined not to turn grey again, so he focused on the time he had seen his grandma and she had smiled at him. “I got to see her spirit once, she smiled at me, so I’m sure your right…” The blue troll snuggled closer to the one he loved and the guru then gently placed a kiss onto the top of the head of the survivalists.

 

Creek would always remember the first time that Branch entered his dreams, it had been months after they had come together as a couple, he’d been having a horrible nightmare were a great black beast was chasing him, Creek tripped and fell, he then turned to face the huge creature and screamed as it came at him on the attack. Then suddenly an orb of blue light appeared in the air in front of him, it quickly became Branch with his wings and holding his sword in his right hand. Creek watched wide eyed as the survivalist swung his sword out at the creature and it sliced through it with ease, turning the creature into nothing more than black shreds which vanished into nothing. Happy that the dark beast was gone from the dream of the one he loved Branch turned to face Creek flaring his wings open out each side of him as he did so, he then offered the purple troll a hand to help him up. The wide eyed spiritual troll quickly placed his hand into that of the other troll who effortlessly pulled him up onto his feet, and he then hugged Creek close to him, before promising the one he loved with all sincerity. “I will always be here to protect you.” As he had said this to him the purple troll had known that Branch meant every word which he was saying to him.

When Creek woke up the morning after he’d had this dream he found that the survivalist was laying alongside him in their bed awake and it was clear to the purple troll that Branch had been watching him sleep. A few moments later the guru became aware of the fact that the one oh loved had one of his wings over him in a protective manor, which made Creek feel extremely happy and ever very safe. Seeing that the other troll was now awake the blue troll gave the one he loved a smile, then placed a kiss to his forehead before saying to the guru. “Good morning my love.”

“Thank you, for helping me last night.” Creek said to him in a grateful tone of voice.

“Your welcome.”

“Branch…” Creek began, he then stopped speaking there was something which the purple troll really wanted to say to the other troll but he felt suddenly very shy and nervous about saying the words to the one he loved.

The blue troll gave the one he loved a curious look and then said encouragingly. “What is it my flame?”

Creek gulped and somehow despite the nerves which he was feeling he finally managed to say to the one he loved. “Branch my winged warrior will you marry me?”

The teal eyes of the other troll went wide, joy and wonder flooded through him as the guru asked him this question and the survivalist answered this question quickly. “Yes, I will marry you Creek!”

The purple troll let out a sigh of relief, he placed one hand into his hair, a few moments later Creek drew out a ring of white gold metal which was set with a purple stone out of his hair, he was blushing slightly as he presented the ring to Branch. The survivalist gifted the spiritual troll with one of the brilliant smiles which the guru loved to see on his face, before holding his left hand out to Creek, gently the other troll took hold of the hand of the blue troll and slipped the ring onto the middle finger of his hand. Branch took a moment to just look at the ring on his finger before threading his fingers into the two tone hair of Creek and kissing him with all the love he felt for the other troll. The spiritual troll gently but firmly returned this kiss, their lips dancing together and as the kiss deepened the guru placed one arm around his waist and pulled Branch closer to him. The two trolls continued to kiss, breaking apart to take small panting breaths only to start kissing each other again, they were both happily lost in what they were doing together and by the time both trolls did stop kissing they were both panting hard. When at last Branch managed to catch his breath after their passionate kissing, he smiled at the one he loved and then said to the purple troll. “Poppy is going to go crazy when we tell her she has a wedding to plan.” 

Creek couldn’t help but chuckle for a few moments when Branch said this, because he knew that his betrothed would be absolutely right about Poppy’s reaction to their news and sure enough when they told her that they were betrothed, she had firstly congratulated both of them enthusiastically before then going straight into full wedding planning mode.

So it was that the two trolls were married three months later in a small intimate ceremony by King Peppy, they only invited their friends the snack pack to the wedding, none of the other trolls in the troll tree took offence at this decision, they knew that this was their time to be together with those closest to them and that Branch could still be nervous around large groups. It was clear to all of their friends as well as to the old troll marrying them that the two trolls standing before them were very much in love with each other. The wedding vows the couple being married made to each other during the ceremony were simple but clearly very heartfelt. After the wedding was over there was a small party held in in the royal pod, which lasted until very late in the night. When Branch and Creek were not seen for a week around the troll tree none of the other trolls commented on this fact, and when at last the newly married couple did reappear the rest of the trolls just shared knowing smiles.

 

Three years after they were married, Creek was standing in the doorway of the kitchen of what was now Branch’s and his pod, it was early in the morning and the blue troll was bustling about the kitchen making lots of chocolate chip cookies, he wore a royal blue apron as he worked hard around the pod’s kitchen. The purple troll wasn’t alone in the doorway, holding his hand was their three year old son Mist, he was a purple skinned troll, with hair which was royal blue at the base and teal blue at the top. It was in this moment that Creek suddenly remembered the vision he’d had of this so long ago, he felt shock fill him, the purple troll held back the gasp which wanted to escape him. The spiritual troll could hardly believe that his vision from all those years ago had come true, but knowing that it had come true in this wonderful way made Creek feel extremely happy. These thoughts made the guru smiled to himself, he squeezed the hand of their son gently but firmly, the little troll smiled up at his father and then said to him curiously. “Why is papa baking so much dada?”

Creek shook his head at Mist and then spoke to the little purple troll. “I’m not sure Mist, but it usually means you papa has something on his mind.”

Hearing their voices Branch settled the tray of cookies he was carrying down on the cooling rack on the kitchen top, he turned towards Creek and Mist and then said to them very softly. “Your right my beloved, I do have something on my mind…I was wondering my flame how you would feel about becoming a father for a second time, and if Mist would like to be a big brother?”

Creek’s mouth opened wide shock when Branch said this, all his thoughts screeched to a halt, then joy broke through his shock and a huge grin broke out over his face. Mist was bouncing up and down with excitement, he was smiling hugely at his papa and he let out a high pitched noise of happiness before saying to Branch. “A pod! Papa has a pod!”

“Oh, my winged warrior really?” The spiritual troll asked his husband and life mate, his joy clear in his voice and on his face after hearing this news from Branch.

With happy tears in his eyes the blue troll gave Creek a nod, he came out of the kitchen, the guru hugged Branch for a moment, then as he pulled back from the hug, Mist looked up his fathers and said to his papa softly. “Can I see please?”

Branch gave him a nod. “Yes you can see my little love, but be gentle, do you understand?”

Mist gave his papa a nod, the blue troll took the apron off, he placed it onto the peg just around the corner of kitchen wall, before Branch then turned back to his husband and son. Now with the apron gone his little bump was much clearer to see now than it had been before, the little purple troll placed his hand gently onto the bump and then said to it cutely. “Hello little troll in there.”

Branch and Creek can’t help but share a smile at their son’s adorable behaviour, the guru took his husband’s hand he gave it a gentle squeeze and then said to him with the concern he was feeling inside clear in his voice. “Are you both alright?”

As the one he loved asked him this the blue troll found himself feeling very happy and he answered this thoughtfully and tenderly asked question. “Yes my husband, the healers say that we are both fine and that the pod will be ready to be removed from me in two months just as it should be and then we will be able to hang it on the troll tree, I hope that we can find a good spot for the pod to grow on. Thank goodness for the joys of painless magic when the removal time comes and for the fact two trolls as long as they love each other can have a pod hmm?”

The spiritual troll smiled at the one he loved, he gave the blue troll a nod of agreement in response to these words and then Creek kissed the forehead of the other troll. As their son removed his hand from the bump, the guru placed his own hand onto it, knowing they were to have another child made Creek feel utterly happy and he smiled with the joy he was feeling as he felt the currently small bump under his fingers. “I wonder if it will be a girl or a boy?”

Branch felt a wave of happiness wash over him before he said to his husband. “I don’t care which one it is as long as our little troll is healthy I will be happy.”

The purple troll gave him a nod of agreement to these words. “As you say as long as the little one is healthy then it doesn’t matter which it is.”

After this was said by the guru the three trolls shared a group hug, Creek and Branch shared a short but loving kiss over their son’s head and when they couple pulled apart the two of them shared a wide smile. They both felt truly content with their lives, neither of them regretted the dreams which had brought them together or the deep spiritual bond this happening between them meant they would always share. The two of them were still as in love with each other now as they had been when they had married and Branch and Creek felt sure that no matter what happened they would continue to be happy and love each other for the rest of their lives.


End file.
